Ph.D. in Education - Curriculum and Instruction

I. Introduction

The Ph.D. in the College of Education is a research-oriented
degree. All doctoral students in the College are expected to
learn how to analyze and synthesize the research literature
in a chosen field; how to plan and initiate original research;
and how to translate research findings into implications for
educational practice. We have designed our program for persons
who are intellectually curious and who devote a high level of
energy to their work. We seek applicants who bring spirit of
inquiry toward addressing today's educational challenges.

The Ph.D.Program in Education: Curriculum and Instruction
involves concentrated study in one of two areas:

III. DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

A minimum of 96 semester hours of graduate work beyond the
baccalaureate or 64 semester hours beyond the masters degree
is required for a doctoral degree. The plan of study for each
student is prepared in consultation with, and must be approved
by, the faculty advisor assigned in the student's area of specialization.
All students are required to complete the core curriculum, appropriate
work in the areas of specialization, a research project, and
a doctoral dissertation. Each of these requirements is spelled
out below.

A. Core Curriculum (16 semester hours)

The core curriculum introduces students to issues in the conduct
of educational research and begins the process of building methodological
skills. The courses are:

B. Area of Concentration (24 semester hours if student has
masters, 56 without)

In fulfillment of this requirement, students immerse themselves
in one of the following areas of study:

1. Curriculum Design
2. Literacy, Language and Culture

Courses in one of these particular areas will constitute
roughly one-third of the total hours of study required of
students.

There are a wide variety of graduate courses offered in
the College of Education that encompass each of the areas
of study. While students may take courses exclusively in
the College of Education, we encourage you to take courses
in other departments of the university, such as Anthropology,
English, History, Philosophy, Psychology, Public Policy,
Sociology, and Women's' Studies.

Such courses can help you develop conceptual and methodological
tools for use in the study of an educational issue. These
outside courses can count toward the degree, although they
cannot constitute more than a third of a student's total
course hours in the area of specialization. Students should
also be apprised that they can take courses toward their
degree at member universities of the Committee on Institutional
Cooperation (CIC). This includes all Big Ten universities
and the University of Chicago. Students pay UIC tuition
rates for courses taken at theses institutions. Such courses
must be arranged through consultation with a UIC faculty
advisor and appropriate personnel at the cooperating institution.

C. Research Project (8 semester hours)

All students in the doctoral program work on a research project
in collaboration with a faculty member or a team of faculty
members and students. Projects will focus on actual research
problems in the student's area of concentration. Each student
will make a formal presentation, oral and/or written, of the
project findings. Students are encouraged to use this work
as a basis for a manuscript to be submitted for a scholarly
conference presentation or a publication.

D. Preliminary Examination

The preliminary examination is taken upon completion of all
required course work. It consists of two parts. The comprehensive
written portion is based on the student's course work. The
oral portion is based upon the student's written dissertation
proposal and is presented to a faculty committee.

E. Dissertation (16 semester hours)

A dissertation based on original research is required and
must be defended before a faculty committee. The research
must employ a theoretical framework and make use of the methods
of inquiry appropriate to the problem being investigated.
In sum, a student's distribution of semester hour credits
required for the doctoral degree will be as follows (these
are minimum hours; many students take more hours than the
minimum):

With Masters Degree

Without Masters Degree

Core Curriculum

16

16

Specialization Requirement

24

56

Research Project

8

8

Dissertation

16

16

TOTAL

64

96

V. TO OBTAIN FURTHER INFORMATION

If you have program or academic questions about an area of specialization,
please call the appropriate area secretary, who can answer questions
and direct you to members of the faculty.

For Curriculum and Design you can contact the department at
(312) 996-4508.